Vehicle steering wheel



W. E. WEBB VEHICLE S T/EERING' WHEEL March 26, 1935.

Original Filed June l5, 1931 Reissued Mar. 26, 1935 UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE VEHICLE STEERING WHEEL William E. Webb, Minncola, Fla.

10 Claims.

This application is a continuation of my United States application Serial No. 544,539, filed June 15, 1931, and the invention herein dis- Aclosed aims to providefa novel -and desirable steering wheel which will not only facilitate steering around sharp turns such as street corners, but willvnot interfere with steering in the conventional Way onk less abrupt curves and straight stretches, and the construction is such that it will in no manner be hazardous to proper control, regardless of the fact that it embodies quite radical changes over steering wheels of present day types.

The steering wheel rim is provided with an Varcuate portion -'depressed below the upper side .y side ofthe rim to be` in a single plane, and the entire upper side,lexclus ive of the depression or recess, in another, single plane; to provide a unique and advantageous well lubricated mounting for the nger-grip or knob; and to provide a unique steering wheel lreinforcement acting as a carrierffor the knob or grip mounting means. f

With the foregoing in view, the invention resides in the novel subject matter hereinafter described and claimed, vdescription being accomplished by reference to vtheaccompanying drawing.V

Fig. 1 is a fragmentary top plan view showing a steering wheel constructed in accordance with the invention.- Y Y Figs. 2 and 3 are enlarged sectional Views as indicated by the lines 2,-2 and 3-*3 of Fig. 1.

A preferred construction has been shown and will be specifically described, with the understanding however, that within the scope of the invention as claimed, variations may be made. For instance, even though the depressed rim portion is` Ashown integral lwith ythe remainder of the rim and integral with one-of the wheel spokes, said depressed portion and the parts mounted thereon could well constitute a separate unit suitably secured to the remainder of the wheel, whether embodied in the wheel strueture at thefactory or later installed in a conventional steering wheel.

v The wheel embodies a rim 5, spokes 6l and a hub 7. The rim includes a depressed arcuate portion 8 elongated uni-directionally with the circumference o f saidrim, and in the present.

the bearing member 17 is separate from the re- 10 upper side of said spoke and the upper face of lthe depressed rim portion being ilush with each other. Mounted upon the depressed `rim portion at its juncture with thev spoke 6, is. a fingergrip or knob 11 whose major portion lies in a plane below the upper side 10 of the rim 5, so

' that it will not interfere with use of the steering wheel when steering in the conventional manner. When steering is to be accomplished around sharp curves or corners however, the knob or grip 11 is grasped between the thumb and the fingers, as seen in dotted lines in Fig. 2, and by pullingit to the right or left, a sharp turn may be quickly and easily made. The knob 11 is preferably of substantially flat formand instead of having a truly circular periphery is preferably of the polysided shape rshown in Figs.

1 and 2.

A reinforcing spider 12 is imbedded in the steering wheel and rigidly carries an upstanding post 13 which is instrumental in rotatably mounting the knob 11. This spideris provided with two arms 14 embedded in the depressed portion 8 of the rim, and with a third arm 15 imbedded in the adjacent spoke 6, said arms 14 preferably extending somewhat beyond the ends of the depressed or `recessed rim portion. Not only does the spider 12 thus effectively reinforce the weakest part of the steering wheel, but said spider rigidly anchors the post 13. In mounting the knob 11 upon this post, the structure detailed in Fig. 3, is preferably followed.

The lower side of the knob 11 is formed with a socket 16 which snugly receives a hollow cylindrical bearing member 17, the upper end 18 of said bearing member being closed while its lower end is open, said open lower end being provided with an inwardly projecting continuous flange 19. Preferably, the upper end 18 of mainder of said member and is secured to the latter rby screws 20. Other screws 21 are employed for securing the gearing member 1'1 and the knob or the like 11, together.

,A fined bearing member 22 is tightly threaded 55 upon the upper end of the post 13, said bearing member 22 being received partially in the member 17 and having a continuous outstanding flange 23 lying upon the flange 19. A space 24 exists between theupper end of the bearing member 22 and the upper end 18 of the bearing member 17, and in this space, an oil pad -25 of felt or the like is confined.

In the present disclosure, the upper side of the knob 1l is provided with a shallow central recess 26, and an oil port 27 either central or off-center, as desired, leads from this recess to thepad 25. A plate 28 in the recess 26, normally covers the upper end of the port 27, but said plate is removably fastened in said recess, by a snap ringor the like 29. By removing this ring, the plate 28 may be removed, giving access tothe port 27forsup.-

'Y plying oil to the pad 25, so that eiective lubrication of contacting parts, may be effected, insuring easy turning of the knob or the like 1l, without noise.

4The plate 28- may merely be a plate of metal or 'the like, but it is preferably eithera mirror, or a carrier for a photograph or other picture. When plate 28 carries a picture, the knob'11 is preferably so overbalanced as to always present said picture right-side up; to ther driver. Such overvbalancing may be effected by drilling the oil port 27 in the upper portion of the knob, thereby lightening said` upper portion.

Whenever a quick turn is to be made, the knob `or finger-grip 11 is gripped as seen in Fig. 2, and

the wheel quickly turnedto the rightv or left, as required, and incident to such turning, the hand will not strike upon the ends 30 of the rim recess,

due to their distance from said knob or grip 1l.

These ends 30 are preferably inclined as shown, to overcome any possibility ofinterferingwhen rsteering eitherwith theknob or the like 1l, or 'in the conventional manner. The mounting 'of the knob or the like is such as to allow free and noiseless rotation of the latter,'and by providing for raccurate running contact-between relatively rotatable parts, rattling may be prevented. Moreover, the construction disclosed will prevent theft of the entire assemblage of knob and mounting means, for no parts can be quickly and easily dev tached. Should it ,be necessary to effect removal,

5 the following steps are performed. First, remove ring 29, then remove plate 28, giving access tothe screws 21. Remove these screws and lift the knob 11 from the bearing member 17, giving access to the screws 20. yRemove these screws and lift the end member 18 from engagement with the side wall of the bearing member 17, giving access to the pad 25. Remove this pad, thus exposing sockets 31 in the bearing member 22. With a tool especially designed for the purpose of engaging these sockets, unthread the bearing memv and spokes radiating from the hub and connecting with the rim, a rim portion reduced to form a portion located below the top part of the rim and a nger grip secured to the upper part of said portion, the ends of the reduced rim portion being angularly enlarged and sufliciently distant from each other so as to provide an operating clearance for the hand around said grip, said rim portion being sufficiently reduced so as to house a substantial part of the finger grip secured thereto below the top part of the rim.

2. VA steering wheel whose rim` is provided with a` recess elongated unidirectionally` with the circumference of said rim, said recess opening through the upper side and through the inner vand outer peripheries of the rim, the lower side of said rim being in substantially a single plane, the unrecessed portion of the upper side of said V'rim being" likewise in substantially a single plane,

and a knob mounted in said recess and adapted to be gripped by the fingers and thumb of one hand to quickly turn the wheel, said knob projecting only-a slight distance above the plane of saidv unrecessed portion of the upper side of the rim to prevent interference when steering in the conventional manner, the ends of Said recess being sufficiently distant from said knob to prevent striking' against theA handwhen lusing said knob.

3. A structure as specified in claim 2; one spoke of the wheel being jointed to said rim centrally between the ends of the recessed portion :of said rim, areinforcing spider` having two -legs emleg embedded in said'spoke, anda post rigidly carried by said spider, said knob being mounted on saidpost. l

4. A steering wheel knob havinga central recess in its upperside, bearing means rotatably mounting said knob on the steering wheel 'and disposed at least partially within thelknobyan loil port leading to said bearing means from said recess, a plate in said recess covering said oil port,

and releasable 'means' holding said plate in-said recess and permitting removal of said plate to gain access to vsaid oil port.

5. A steering wheell knob provided with a cylindrical hollowbearing member closed toward the upper side of the knob but open toward ythe lower side thereof, the open lower'end rof said member being provided with an inwardly projecting flange, arxed cylindrical bearing member carried by the steering wheel and rotatably received in said hollow bearingv member, the upper ends ofthe two bearing members being spaced'apart vertically, said iixed bearing member being provided'witha `flange lying upon the Yaforesaid flange, and an low'bearing member, said fixed vmember beingprovidedwith a flange lying upon the aforesaid flange, said `bearing members having end portions adjacent each other and formed'with recesses, and a pad seated' in said recesses.Y

7. A steering wheelcomprising a rim, steering `wheel spokes joined to the rim, a portion of one of the spokes and a portion of the rim reduced to form a T-shaped portion located in a plane below the top side of the rim and including a stem and a head, and a finger piece secured to said T-shaped portion where the stem and head thereof join to each other.

8. A steering wheel comprising an annular rim, steering wheel spokes joined to the rim, a portion of one of the spokes and a portion of 'the :rim reducedl to form a T-shaped portionllcated i25 bedded in said recessed rim portion and a thirdV in a plane below the top side of the rim and including a stem and a head, and a finger piece secured to said T-shaped portion where the stem and head thereof join to each other, said reduced portion of the rim forming in the latter a recess opening outwardly through the upper side and the inner and outer peripheries of the rim.

9. A steering wheel comprising an annular rim having a. portion reduced to form a recess opening outwardly through the upper side and the inner and outer peripheries of the rim and of arcuate shape from end to end, a plurality of steering wheel spokes carried by the rim and one of said spokes joined to the reduced portion of the rim intermediate the ends of said reduced portion, and a nger piece secured to the reduced portion of the rim.

10. A steering Wheel comprising an annular rim having a portion reduced to form a recess opening outwardly through the upper side and the inner and outer peripheries of the rim and of arcuate shape from end to end, a plurality of steering Wheel spokes carried by the rim and one of said spokes joined to the reduced portion of the rim intermediate the ends of saidreduced portion, a nger piece secured to the reduced portion of the rim and located intermediate the ends of the reducedportion and a T-shaped reinforcing element having a part thereof embedded in the reduced portion of the rim and in the spoke joined to the reduced portion of the Ilm.

WILLIAM E. WEBB. 

